Jay: A Decentralized and Open-Source Web Wallet for NXT

Jay, a javascript wallet framework developed for NXT, has just released their open-source, trustless web wallet, which may be the easiest way to make NXT transactions yet.

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Jay, a javascript wallet framework developed for NXT, has just released their open-source, trustless web wallet, which may be the easiest way to make NXT transactions yet.

Jay has two main elements. The first is a server called Jnxt that communicates with the NXT network and hosts a full blockchain. It also runs updates, as well as predesigned types of NXT transactions, such as setting up an alias, or funding your first NXT address.

The other part is the Jay client. Similar to popular browser wallets like Kryptokit, RushWallet or Darkwallet, Jay lets you download an HTML ‘wallet’ that can be run locally and offline. It comprises about 400 KiB (kibibytes).

The client functions like a regular website, except instead of connecting to the Internet to access it, you run it off your computer. If you look at the url when you click the HTML file, it will say something along the lines of “your hard drive.”

Here you can generate new addresses, sign transactions and then copy and paste the transactions over to the Jay node so they can be broadcast to the network. Thanks to the magic of cryptography, the Jay node never sees your private key, but only a signed token that proves you own the address and lets any Jay compatible NXT server do the rest.

Indeed, this page is local and never has to go online. You could run it on a separate computer and simply use a thumb drive to communicate the signed transactions. Private keys on the Jay client are encrypted with a pin so they are not saved as plain text on your computer.

Since Jay is made to work on browsers, any browser that can support HTML also supports Jay. Though the open-source framework was developed with NXT in mind, it could be modified to work with other cryptocurrencies as well.

Jnxt features a set of tools and resources such as “network visualize,” as well as a guide for newcomers. The server was developed by Alex Jones.

— Alex Jones

It also has a faucet, lets you search or register an alias and identify typos for rouge brain wallets, and it contains a full SuperNET integrated NXT wallet.

“For now, only the ‘proof-of-concept’ wallet is compatible with the Jay client, which lets you do a variety of basic transactions,” writes Jones. “You can expect a lot more to come though.”

Jones added that he is planning more to come this week and that it is “an easy way to make web versions of InstantDEX, Neodice, FreeMarket and other services.”

Jones adds:

“I plan to have a page, calling it 'hub' that allows for people to write wallets with Jay, then upload them directly to Nxt's blockchain, so they can be accessible from anywhere without paying for hosting or worrying about being taken down.”

“It’s a new and cool way to handle web wallets, and I'm looking forward to seeing what can be done with it,” writes Jones, who encourages web developers to take, use and build other types of wallets with Jay’s open-source libraries.

However, as you might expect, Jnxt is not charity work and 10% of the transaction fees it brings into InstantDEX will be distributed to Jay asset holders.

Full documentation can be found here, and you can also read the full interview with Jones.

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